Appointment of members to the Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for nursing and midwifery

Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey today announced the appointment of three Non-Executive Members to the Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for Nursing and Midwifery (NIPEC).

They are Mrs Sarah-Jane McConnell-Campalani and Mrs Deirdre McNamee (Professional Members), and Dr Vinod Kumar Tohani (Lay Member).

NIPEC has an exciting challenging role to support the provision of the best nursing and midwifery, both now and into the future, within Northern Ireland. It is committed to the promotion of continuous professional development and to a culture of life long learning, to enable nurses and midwives to maximise their contribution to the health and well-being of patients and clients, regardless of the role being undertaken

The appointments were made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointment for Northern Ireland and are for the period 19 July 2010 to 18 July 2014.

The board of NIPEC comprises a Chair, Chief Executive and not more than 14 Non-Executive Members drawn from a wide range of key interests. Sixty per cent of the membership must be on the live professional nursing and midwifery register and the remaining forty per cent is made up of lay members.

Notes to editors:

1. Members of NIPEC do not receive any remuneration, but are eligible to claim expenses at rates set by the Department for costs incurred on Council business.

2. The appointments were made with the approval of the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. There are no specific qualifications for appointment.

3. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees (if any declared) to be published. All three appointees declared that they had not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

4. Media enquiries to the DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0579. For media enquiries out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.

Appointments:

Mrs Sara Jayne McConnell-Campalani RGN MBA PGCE lives in Belfast. Mrs McConnell-Campalani is currently employed as the Senior Nurse for Cancer Services for the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust in a strategic role which covers the patient journey from pre diagnosis, through treatment into survivorship, chronic illness or palliation and which spans the interfaces between Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Care. She is also Trust Lead for Cancer Patient Information, is the nominated representative for Personal and Public Involvement (PPI) in Cancer Services within the Trust and is very involved in the reform of and modernisation of palliative care services both within the Trust and regionally. Mrs McConnell-Campalani was previously employed at the Belfast City Hospital Trust as Directorate Nurse and in this role was part of the team that oversaw the successful transfer of cancer services from Belvior Park Hospital to the new Cancer Centre on the Belfast City Hospital site. Prior to this she worked for several years as Clinical Service Manager with Marie Curie Cancer Care. Mrs. McConnell-Campalani brings a very broad experience to the Board as she has worked in countries as diverse as Italy and India and in a wide variety of roles across most care settings, including the voluntary and independent sectors. This experience allows for a realistic and grounded understanding of the realities faced by patients and nurses throughout the health and social care community as does her PPI engagement activities with patients and groups and her regular teaching commitment to ward and community based nurses. Mrs McConnell-Campalani does not hold any other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

Mrs Deirdre McNamee MSc RN lives in Strabane. She is a qualified nurse and nurse teacher and since October 2006, she has been the Associate Head of Nursing at the University of Ulster having been employed as a Lecturer in Nursing from November 2001. Mrs McNamee holds a specialist practice qualification in rheumatology nursing and she was previously employed as a Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner at the former Altnagelvin and Sperrin Lakeland Hospitals Health and Social Services HSS Trusts and Staff Nurse (General Medicine) at the Altnagelvin Hospitals HSS Trust. Mrs McNamee holds an Honorary Contract as a Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner with the Western Health and Social Care Trust. She is a former member of the Western Investing for Health Partnership. Mrs McNamee brings an extensive range of knowledge and skills to the post. She is committed to supporting the learning and development of nurses and midwives with the aims of enhancing the experience of each person receiving care and promoting the wellbeing of the population. She has significant experience of strategic management, academic leadership and collaborative working. Mrs McNamee has a particular interest in enhancing the quality of care by learning from experience and evidence so that care can be safe, effective, equitable and meaningful. Mrs McNamee does not hold any other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

Dr Vinod Kumar Tohani MB BCh BAO MSc MFCM FFPMM (I) lives in Armagh. Until his retirement in February 2010, Dr Tohani had been employed for over twenty years by the Southern Health and Social Services Board, latterly the Public Health Agency, as Consultant in Communicable Disease Control/Consultant in Public Health Medicine. From April 1987 to September 1990, Dr Tohani had been employed as Consultant in Communicable Disease Control/Consultant in Public Health Medicine with the Western Health and Social Services Board. Dr Tohani’s experience gained in the field of Public Health, covering such areas as Child and Maternal Health, Mental Health, Health Promotion, together with his involvement with health care professional training and education, will assist him in his new on the Council. He has been involved, in a voluntary capacity, as a member of the NI Food Standards Agency Advisory Committee and of the Pesticide Advisory Committee (UK). Dr Tohani does not hold any other public appointments and has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.